"
He was expected to preach on that day and the church was crammed a
quarter of an hour before the service began. At five minutes to eleven
a lady and child entered and walked to the rector's pew. The
congregation was stupefied with amazement. Mouths were agape, a hum of
exclamations arose, and people on the further side of the church stood
up.
It was Mrs. Fairfax! Nobody had conjectured that she and Mrs. Leighton
were the same person. It was unimaginable that a dressmaker should have
had near ancestors in the peerage. It was more than a year and a half
since she left the town. Mrs. Carter was able to say that not a single
letter had been addressed to her, and she was almost forgotten.
A few days afterwards Mrs. Sweeting had a little note requesting her to
take tea with the Rector and his wife. Nobody was asked to meet her.
Mrs. Bingham had called the day before, and had been extremely
apologetic.
"I am afraid, Mrs. Midleton, you must have thought me sometimes very
rude to you."
To which Mrs. Midleton replied graciously, "I am sure if you had been it
would have been quite excusable.
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